Artificial minnow for fishing



Dac. 3, 1929. H.'READMAN 1,737,633

ARTIFICIAL HINNOW FOR FISHING Filed April 28,1927

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Fig. 1a

Patented Dec. 3, 1929 v UNITED {STATES PATENT OFFICE HARDIE nnanmniv, or nAnLsroN, sco'rmnn anrmrcnu. MINNOW non FISHING Application filed April 28, 1927, Serial No. 187,334, and in Great Britain Septemberfl, 1920.

This invention relates to an improved artificial bait or minnow for "line fishing, and to the manufacture of the artificial bait, with the object of producing a more life-like and attractive bait. I

' According to the present invention, the artificial bait comprises an ichthyoid body having a waterproofed iridescent orlustrous covering of any suitable natural or artificial material. The covering may, for example,

consist of natural or artificial feathers, tinsel or coloured metal foil, such as gold or silver leaf, tinsel paper or other fancy coloured paper, transfers, or coloured silk ribbon or other coloured fabric or cloth.

In carrying out my invention, the ich'thyoid body which forms the body of the minnow may be of any suitable material, such as wood or metal, but it is preferably moulded or cast and made of rubber or other mouldable substance, which is coated with a lustrous or luminous paint, such as aluminum paint, gold paint or the like, to which the iridescent or lustrous coating of feathers, tinsel or the like is caused to adhere, the whole being finally protected by applying a coat of a waterproof varnish.

The iridescent or lustrous covering may be caused to adhere to the painted body by the use of any suitable adhesive or cement, but I preferably use a celluloid varnish or cement which may also be used for the final waterproofing coat.

The body is preferably constructed in sections forming respectively a head section and a trunk section, between the abutting ends of which is placed a bladed element, either previously shaped to form a spinner or fins, or consisting of a fiat blank of a thermoplastic material such as celluloid, which is afterwards subjected .to heat to enable the fiat blank to be twisted to form the inclined blades of the spinner. To facilitate assembly and provide a rigid construction, the body sections are made hollow to receive a central metal or other tube upon which the bladed element or spinner is threaded. Alternatively, the fins may be separate blades secured to the sides of the body by suitable means, such as an adhesive or cement.

In order that the inventionmay be more clearly understood, reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying explanatory drawin s whereon ig. 1 is a plan view of a, complete artificial balt.

Fig. 2 is a side view of. Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the central metal tube.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the two sections of the body.

Fig. 5 is a developmentof the celluloid fins which are afterwards bent to shape.

Fig. dis a view of the body and fins assembled'ready for shaping the fins.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the hooks. Fig. 8 shows typical forms of the diiferent feathers used for the covering of the body.

Fig. 9 is a side view and Fig. 10 a plan view pf a body having separate fins attached there- 0. In manufacturing the bait, a metal or other .tube 10, through which the line 18 carrying over the metal tube 10, the fins 14 fitting into a notch 17 in the rubber body 11. An adhesive coating, such as liquid celluloid, is then applied to keep the fins in position and a head 12 is placed on the tube 10. The minnow at this stage is then placed in an oven which is brought to a certain temperature, the heat being suflicient to enable the fins 14 to be bent to shape, as in Figs. 1 and 2. A coat of lustrous or luminous paint, such as liquid aluminum or gold paint is then applied to the surface of the body. When dry, this surface is then treated with an adhesive coating, such as liquid celluloid. The covering is then applied to the body whilst the adhesive coating is in a tacky condition. The covering may consist of feathers 19, 20 and 21 which are dipped in or brushed over with an adhesive, such as liquid celluloid, and in a tacky condition are placed on the body of the minnow, so as to give it as life-like an appearance as possible, this being accomplished by using the large brown feathers 19 for the body, the feathers 2O behind the fins, and the small feathers 21, with the black spots 22, for the head, the spots 22 representing the eyes of the artificial bait. The feathers are cut, if necessary, to any desired shape or size. A final waterproofing coat of a varnish such as liquid celluloid is then applied to the whole surface of the minnow body. The line 18 carrying the hooks 16 is then inserted through the metal tube 10, thus completing the minnow, which is now ready for fixing to the fishingline, by means of the swivel 23. It will be readily understood that the feathers, along with the aluminum or gold paint left uncovered, give the minnow the life-like appearance of the scaly and luminous marked body of a small fish.

The feathers employed for the covering may be either natural or artificial feathers, either dyed or undyed, such as the feathers of wild ducks,partridges or pheasants.

The spinner or fins 14, may be made from the'flat blank shown in Fig. 5, and may be bent to any suitable shape, according to the spin desired, ei her before or after being fitted in position on the body. It will be seen that the fins 14 in Fig. 2 have a much steeper inclination than the fins 143 in Figs. 9 and 10. Also. the fins 14 or 14: need not be made from one blank, but may consists of separate fins such as 14 afiixed to each side of the body, inwhich case, the body and head may be in one piece 11, as in Figs. 9 and 10.

Claims- 1. The method of manufacturing an artificial bait which consists in joining together two sections of an ichthyoid body and abladed thermo-plastic element by passing a tube through the two sections and through the bladed element after positioning the element between the two sections, uniting the parts by hesive. r

4. An artificial bait domprising in combination an ichthyoid body formed in two sections constituting a head section and a trunk section, a tube passing centrally throu h both sections, a spinner fitted upon the tu be and rial and an outer coating of waterproof adlocated between the two sections, both 'sec- I .tions being clamped together by their frictional contact with the tube, a waterproofed iridescent coverin applied to the body and an outer coating of waterproof adhesive.

5. An artificial bait comprising in combination an ichthyoid rubber body formed in two sections, constituting a head section and a trunk section, a tube passing centrally through both sections, a spinner fitted upon the tube and located between the two sections, both sections being clamped together and to the tube by the subjecting of the whole body to heat, a waterproofediridescent covering applied to the body and an outer coating of waterproof adhesive. V

The foregoing specification signed .at American Consulate, Edinburgh, this 9th day of April,'1927'. I

HARDIE READMAN.

means of an adhesive or cement, thereafter subjecting the whole to heat and twisting the blades of the now plastic element to form a spinner or fins, coating the body with a lustrous paint before or after the heating operation, and finally covering the body with an iridescent covering and waterproofing the same.

2. The method of manufacturing an artificial bait which consists in molding an ichthyoid body in two parts to form a head section and a trunk section having a central longitudinal passage, inserting a bladed element between the head and trunk section, passing a tube through the two sections and through the intermediate element, and final 1y covering the body with a waterproofed iridescent covering.

3. An artificial bait com risin in combination an ichthyoid body, a c tra tube passing through the body, a hook, the stem of. which passes through the ube, a waterproofed iridescent covering f natural matetoo 

